There is no modern pop music without Aretha Franklin
Parsing out Aretha Franklin's influence on contemporary culture is a foolish task. Without her, nothing comes after.
From the canonical early Atlantic albums to the transcendent, humane gospel of "Amazing Grace," to her subbing for Luciano Pavarotti at the Grammys in 1998 and bringing President Obama to tears, there's no generation alive today that hasn't had their lives, identity and history affected by Franklin's music. But her vision feels especially trenchant and generous today, given the resurgence
